ebookreview | [ 714 ]

Burn the Kingdom Down by Addie Thorley

Genre:
Fantasy, Young Adult, Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Mystery, Netgalley

Publication Date:
April 7, 2026

Page Numbers:
448

Read/Finished Date:
January 23rd, 2026 - January 24th, 2026

Rating:
4/5

Premise:

An action-packed enemies-to-lovers romantasy filled with a romance that will leave you breathless, betrayals that will rip your heart out, and a princess who will stop at nothing for revenge.

One year ago, Rowenna Harrack, the crown princess of Tashir, left her homeland in a wedding dress of chains—sent away to the enemy nation of Vanzador as a captive bride.

Now, Rowenna is dead. Brought home in a coffin after an alleged fall from a cliff.

Second-born princess, Indira, knows her sister's death was no accident. Desperate for truth and vengeance, Indira agrees to wed the prince so she can infiltrate Vanzador, find Rowenna's murderer, and burn their kingdom to the ground.

Indira's plan is simple, she will make nice until she can find out how to avenge her sister and free her country from the rival nation's stranglehold. But when Indira arrives, nothing is as terrible as Rowenna described. As Indira grows closer to her new husband, Prince Alaric, and uncovers more about Vanzador, the source of its powers, and what happened during Rowenna's final days, she's no longer sure what—and who—to believe. Because everyone, even her sister, has secrets. Deadly ones.

Review:

I was really on the fence when it came to writing this review because while there were parts of this story I enjoyed, there were other parts of it I found frustrating. First off, the main female lead, Indira, was a character I was torn over. While I absolutely understood her grief, especially considering the circumstances of losing her sister, she came across as somewhat whiny. I could understand why Alaric found her annoying—after all, in his shoes, I would probably be feeling the same.

On the other hand, the world-building and the magical system were absolutely fascinating. The author crafted a rich and intricate world filled with a unique magical system. I just wish there was some lore and a bit more information about the magical system I felt was missing.

Overall, this story has an interesting premise, but I felt it was not for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the opportunity to read this arc. All opinions are of my own.